7.30AM My perfect day is a vacation day, so I wake up on an island in Greece to the sound of my kids running around. I’m an early riser. The door is open, and it’s already warm. I get a double espresso and walk down to the sea for a swim. My sons run on the beach.

8.30AM We head back to the house, one of those adorable Greek houses with whitewashed walls and blue shutters, and I make myself two soft-boiled eggs and waffles. Then I read the papers. I skim The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post to get their different points of view.

11AM I go for a hike with my partner. After that I do a little Pilates work, followed by light weights. I wear shorts and a bralette from my Girl Up capsule, which benefits SchoolCycle. It’s a really great initiative of the United Nations Foundation that provides bikes to girls in Guatemala and Malawi to help them access education and stay in school.

12.30PM I shower and get dressed. My vacation wardrobe consists of bikinis, high-waisted shorts, scarves you can tie in a million different ways, and flip-flops. Today’s plan is to board a little dinghy-type boat and go to another island for a lunch of fried zucchini and moussaka at a seaside taverna. After lunch the kids play on the beach, while I’m being naughty and just soaking up the sun, though I do have sunblock on. I love seeing them enjoy such freedom.

2.30PM We get back on the boat and hit a couple of different islands. Greece is my favourite vacation spot; I feel really at home there. I love the culture, the people are wonderful, and the water is just so incredibly appealing.

4PM Back at the house, I spend the rest of the afternoon lying around reading and drinking a little rosé. On a perfect day, I never look at my phone, answer e-mails, text anyone, or check Instagram. It’s very easy for me to disconnect. When I turn everything off, that’s when I dream and create, and the good stuff happens. My favourite things to read are biographies and historical fiction. I love Anne Boleyn and all the kings and queens. I’m fascinated by different aristocracies, the czars, and presidents. Right now I’m reading A Gentleman In Moscow. And I’m obsessed with The Crown, but TV is not part of my perfect day.

6PM A handful of my closest friends and my entire family gather to watch the magical Greek sunset and have a little cocktail before heading into town for a feast. Happiness to me is good conversation, connection, and lots of laughter. If I could invite anyone to dinner, it would be Bob Marley. I would have loved to meet him and see him in concert.

9.30PM Bed. Up early; early to bed—perfect!

KATE’S VACATION ESSENTIALS